hokey
UK /ˈhəʊki/ · US /ˈhoʊki/ adjective
Forms hokier hokiest hokie hoaky hoky
- adjective (US, colloquial) Phony, as if a hoax; noticeably contrived; of obviously flimsy credibility or quality. “When asked for his book report, Chad came up with a series of hokier and hokier excuses.”
- adjective (US, colloquial) Corny; overly or unbelievably sentimental. “Terry hated going to the cinema with Pat; she always chose hokey romantic comedies that made him want to gag.”
Synonyms
cheesy kitschy schmaltzy bathetic squishy corny drippy gooey icky kitsch maudlin mawkish mushy overemotional oversentimental overwrought sappy sickly sweet slushy soppy schmalzy sentimental soupy artificial contrived stilted
Etymology
From the verb hoke ("to give an artificial feel to" [from hokum]) + -y.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “hokey”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details